The 1920 federal census found 7 year old Clyde in his parents’ home at 1004 S. 13th Street in Herrin, Illinois, which they owned free of mortgage. His parents were aged 36 and 32 respectively and his father was working as a mine boss. Siblings of Clyde living in the home were Ruth 14, Leonard 13, Paul 11 and Marvin age 4.
In 1926, when Clyde was 14, his father passed away, undoubtedly leaving a large, strain on the family. He did however, graduate from the Herrin High School class of 1930 at the start of the great depression. An 18 year old Clyde Maynard was found in the 1930 census living as a roomer in a home at 6112 St. Lawrence Ave. in Chicago, Illinois working as a waiter at a restaurant.
On August 5, 1932, Clyde married his old Herrin High School sweetheart, Louise Frick, in St. Louis, Mo. Louise was born on August 10, 1911, in Herrin, the daughter of John Oscar and Bertie (Scrivner) Frick. She graduated from Herrin High School in 1929, after which her family moved to St. Louis.
A 1933 St. Louis directory listed a Clyde and Louise Maynard living at 1309 Benton with Clyde working as a musician.
After their marriage, the couple lived in St. Louis until 1945, when they came back to Southern Illinois and settled in Marion.
Clyde began working as a rural route carrier for the Marion Post Office, retiring on July 24, 1974, after 34 ½ years of service. He and his wife were also owners and operators of the Williamson County Credit Bureau for nine years.
He had served on the Boy Scout Board during the 1950’s and was a member of the Marion’s first Park District Board that formed in 1957 and oversaw the building of the Marion swimming pool, as well as many of the early park developments serving until April 1965. He was a past member of the Marion Zoning Board, volunteered in the Literacy Program teaching adults to read; sponsored over 65 children for health care through the Shriner’s Crippled Children’s Clinic and the Shriner’s Burned Children’s Program.
He received an award from the Williamson County Shrine Club as an “unsung hero” for his work in helping crippled and burned children and also received recognition from former governor Jim Edgar for “Mr. Maynard’s efforts for the children of Southern Illinois for more than 38 years as a Shriner.”
He was a member of the Zion United Church of Christ in Marion; Marion Masonic Lodge; Marion Scottish Rites; Southern Illinois Valley Ainad Shrine Temple in East St. Louis; Williamson County Shrine Club and the Marion Elks Club.
Clyde Maynard died at 8:45 p.m. Sunday, September 5, 1999, at Cardinal Health Care in Energy at the age of 87. He and his wife had been living at 900 W. Concord Street in Marion. The couple at his death had been married for 67 years.
He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Leonard, Paul and Marvin and one sister, Ruth Ballowe.
Survivors include his wife; daughter, Judith Anne Cagle of Peoria; son, Robert Paul Maynard of Lawrence, Kansas; five grandchildren, Tracy Hurlbut, Eric Cagle, Chris Maynard, John Paul Maynard and Brittany Maynard and two great grandchildren, Carrie Hurlbut and Nathaniel Cagle.
Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, September 8, 1999, at the Meredith-Blue Funeral Home in Marion with Dr. Harold Landwehr officiating. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery.
After Clyde’s death, in 2000, Louise left Marion, after living here for 55 years, to live in Washington to be near family.
Louise lived to the age of 102 and passed away at 10:45 p.m. on Sunday, January 5, 2014 in Washington Christian Village of Washington.
She was preceded in death by her husband; brother, Bob Frick; sister, Dorothy White; son-in-law, Fred Cagle; and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
Survivors include her daughter, Judy Cagle; son, Bob Maynard and his wife Teri of Kansas.
While primarily a homemaker, Louise held jobs outside the home. She worked at the Marion Daily Republican and later in the dental office of Dr. John Kaeser. She was an active member of the Zion United Church of Christ in Marion for over 50 years, a church with long-time family affiliations where her grandfather was a charter member and her father was in one of the first confirmation classes; at the time of her death, Louise was the oldest member at Zion.
Louise held the office of President in the Williamson County Home Extension; she frequently used the recipes and other information from Home Extension in her home for the enjoyment of her family. Over the years, she crocheted numerous afghans and made craft items that are still being used in the homes of family members. Louise volunteered in the church and community. She was a Cub Scout den mother, worked in the soup kitchen, and tutored school children through a neighborhood center. Writing was a life-long source of enjoyment for Louise. She kept day diaries and journals for many years, wrote long, newsy letters to family and friends, and frequently wrote poems.
Services were held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, January 18, 2014, in Wilson-McReynolds Funeral Home in Marion with Rev. John Holst presiding. Interment followed in Rose Hill next to her husband Clyde.
(Southern Illinoisan, September 1999, January 2014, April 1965; Federal Census Records; Social Security Death Records; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 02/11/2014)